It’s about time the Tour rolled through the Bay Area with the new and improved WGC Match Play Championship at TPC Harding Park. From sponsor to venue to vibe to format, this year’s head to head event should provide fresh theater. Finchem and Co. deserve some credit for making the necessary changes to this early season 

 and blowing up the format after an 8 year stint in the Desert.

Recent scenes from the site of Dove Mountain, AZ

The 64 man field has been divided into 16 four man groups (think World Cup group play). The #1 seed in each group will be the top 16 ranked players in the OWGR. The 3 remaining spots in each group will be decided via a blind draw by tournament officials from three different pools:

Pool 1 – Players 17-32 in OWGR (#2 player in each group)

Pool 2 – Players 33-48 in OWGR (#3 player in each group)

Pool 3 – Players 49-64 in OWGR (#4 player in each group)

The drawing was live on Monday at noon EST in the Golf Central studios in Orlando (Prime Time baby)! For the PGA suits, this Match Play event has caused problems in the past due to the small, 64 man field and elimination format. With less golfers on the course each day into Sunday, the fan experience is diminished and the sponsors can’t entertain from the tents! With this year’s tournament starting on Wednesday and finishing with 36 holes on Sunday. The blind drawing and subsequent group round robin play (Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday) will add intrigue and much needed variables to the early stages of the tournament, but more importantly, it will add more golf. Saturday and Sunday will be reserved for true fans that want to see the top 16 battle for that awkward blue trophy. Oh, and $1.5 million payday.

TPC Harding Park is a phenomenal track steeped in history, a course I love to play as a SF local, and one that’s sets up very nicely for Match Play (read: tough, scenic finishing holes with tons of birdies to be had). It’s important to keep in mind that Harding is true Municipal track owned by the city and county of San Francisco, but operated by TPC since 2010. It opened to the public 90 years ago in 1925, was designed by Willie Watson and Sam Whiting (same guys who did the Olympic club across Lake Merced), and was named for President 

, who died in office of heart failure at San Francisco’s Palace Hotel two years prior (and, it’s worth mentioning, a man who did NOT lay up – naturally he was an avid golfer…womanizer, and gambler from the great state of Ohio). The course was home to NLU terrorist Johnny Miller and Ken Venturi growing up and has a long history as host to marquee PGA tour and USGA events in the 1950’s and 60’s.

Due to California’s inability to balance a budget, the course fell into dark times in the 80’s and 90’s, even serving as a parking lot for the ’98 US Open hosted across the lake. It wasn’t until the early aughts that prominent San Franciscan lawyer Sandy Tatum was able to rally change. This an interesting story of a local power struggle covered in depth 

 by the SF Chronicle, but in a nutshell, Tatum found the funds and more importantly, the votes to pour $15 million into the renovations and re-design (read: lengthening) of Harding Park. He also convinced Finchy to find a spot on the Tour’s calendar for a stop at Harding Park (how could he say no to the big market Bay Area…), and since the renovation, we’ve seen Big Cat take down JD3 in sudden death (’05 Amex Championship) and then the world with a bit of help from Stricker (President’s Cup ’09).


Anytime you can watch a professionals compete on a course you’ve played or know well, it adds significant enjoyment to the viewing experience, so I’m certainly jacked up to watch the pros battle each other on a course I’ve played several times the last two years. The course routing this week 

, so I’ll just lay it out the way I know it. The layout has the front nine cocooned by the back nine that opens up with the final 4 holes flanked by Lake Merced down the left side. Even with the rough grown out and greens waxed, the pros will MURDER the front nine that has no water, straight par 4’s, a very gettable par 5, and unprotected greens abound. The back nine opens up a bit more challenging and really turns the screws on 14 when Lake Merced comes into view and the wind starts whipping. This finishing stretch (and course) is perfect for Match Play where par is irrelevant and scenic holes set the stage for a one on one battle. It wouldn’t surprise me if the winner puts -25 on the leader board in the 2020 PGA Championship.

Picks are tough but fun this week with the round robin group play adding so much parity. Here are a few guys I like:

 – Easy choice, but hard not to root for Jayyyyyson after his triumphant victory last year, a strong week in New Orleans, and a disappointing showing in Augusta. He’s hungry, and this guy loves the grind. It would be awesome to see him throw is name back into the mix with Spieth and Rory as one of the world’s the young and girthy stars (he’s only 27). Don’t sleep on him at Chambers Bay either…

 – Though Tron Carter will certainly comment that he lacks pop, I see Kuchar coming out of his group over Mahan. He’s a past match-play champion, and this course sets up well for his consistency, accuracy, and slow, steady demeanor.

 – The finishing stretch sets up really really really well for the power fade, and Kentucky’s finest is hot. He’s group is relatively “weak” with Brooks Koepka fading a bit since his win (sorry Soly) but don’t sleep on Russell Henley.

 – This track sets up well for guys that hit it long and straight. BillyHo is another guy that loves to grind. I’d love to see him upset Rory and takes this group from a fragile Dufner and the ghost of Brandt Snedeker.

– Na has been quiet but consistent all year missing only one cut. MatsuYOTTO should provide a tough challenge in group play, but Na’s hypnotic pace of play and consistent game may be a tough head to head combination. What theater it would be to see him stepping off every shot under pressure in the final match on Sunday!

 – Woodland hits it a mile and played well early in the season on the West Coast. I’d LOVE to see him take down Poulter in group play!

As a San Franciscan local, I should be out at Harding on Thursday, Friday, and/or Saturday, the three days I can see enough actual golf. If you see a guy in a No Laying Up T-shirt, it’s 

Three of the four NoLayingUp founders were able to get together in the Bay Area last weekend to celebrate 

‘s pending nuptials. We played Pasatiempo down in Santa Cruz, which has easily become my favorite course due to its accessibility, unpretentious aura, and fair but extremely difficult layout and greens. I hope to write a full post on the course soon but until then, here are a couple great pics of the gang:

The boys on the First tee with the pacific out behind #1 fairway

The three tiered 16th green where Alister Mackenzie had his ashes spread.

As a side note, the pro shop sold out quicker than we anticipated, but we have plans for more shirts and a couple different NLU designs coming soon…Thank you to all those who bought shirts, they were shipped today and you should receive tracking information by tomorrow afternoon

 for updates and scalding hot commentary lobbed via mortar all over the Twitter-sphere.

2015 WGC-Cadillac Match Play Championship

Bonjour y’all! We gon geaux head down der to da bayou this weekend for the Zurich Classic of ‘Nawlins for a plateful of po-boys, crawfish, crawdads, mudbugs, and a bowl of gumbo.

We’re hurting a little bit in NLU country these past few weeks with travels, work, bachelor parties, and soaking up the first few rays of real spring sun. I’m also left spending most of my time searching for the meaning of life after witnessing all I’ve ever really wanted to see in my existence as a human (Spieth be with you).

Half of us are still on vacation, and the other half are struggling to get hyped for an event that lacks star power, on a course that’s as forgettable as this preview, and that is sandwiched between a slew of big name events. The list of A-Group options in Yahoo! Fantasy this week looks like the length of a list of Bubba Watson’s biggest fans on tour.

Speaking of Bubba, he won this event in 2011, and is skipping it for second straight year. Instead he opted to go overseas and bank some fat appearance fees in China last week instead of being the man of the people that he claims to be. Even George W. Bush thinks that Bubba has abandoned the people of New Orleans. At least when 

former BP CEO Tony Hayward caused widespread destruction across Louisiana

, he stuck around afterward and at least gave the appearance that he was helping to clean it up.

Bubba went ahead and ruined the rap game last week

, I wouldn’t be surprised if Kanye’s next step is to go on TV and tell us that “Gerry Lester Watson Jr. doesn’t care about black people.”

The 2013 winner, our boy Billy Horschel, is thankfully in the field. We’still regularly use this reaction GIF on a near weekly basis.

We’re putting as much effort into this week’s preview as James Harden does defending a 3-on-1 breakaway so bear with us.

When watching this event on TV in 2011, it took me until Sunday to realize that I had played this course just six months prior to this tournament. That’s how utterly forgettable this track is, and I’d imagine that’s part of the reason as to why 

it’s ranked as the 8th worst course on tour per Golf Digest’s player survey

. The course is about 25 minutes from Bourbon Street in Avondale, and it’s clear that once you’re five minutes outside of “New Orleans”, you’re actually in Louisiana. When your course’s 

 has two sentences (!), it’s pretty easy to figure out why you have Seung-Yul Noh and Ben Crane in your “feature groups.” However, you will hear countless compliments about the tournament staff putting on one of the better events of the year from a player perks perspective (unintentional alliteration, I promise). The wives love coming to this event and the festivities probably entice more guys to show up than otherwise would, which is scary. But as far as the course goes, drink your coffee.

New Orleans, Louisiana is unlike any other city in the US. The bars don’t close, the food is spicy, and it feels like you’re in a European country than a large American port city. From 

But it is an American city — just a very different place with a very peculiar history. New Orleans is a place where Africans, both slave and free, and American Indians shared their cultures and intermingled with European settlers. Encouraged by the French government, this strategy for producing a durable culture in a difficult place marked New Orleans as different and special from its inception and continues to distinguish New Orleans today.

The overwhelming theme you’ll hear this week is about the food. Gumbo, po-boys, crawfish etouffee, jambalaya, muffulettas, and beignets will have you reaching for the Pepto Bismol in real time. Be prepared to see more food tweets than that one annoying person on Instagram that you still have no clue why you haven’t unfollowed. There won’t be much of a vibe outside the ropes at TPC Louisiana, mostly because there are just way better things to do in and out of New Orleans than watch a mediocre field tear up a mediocre track.

Are we positive this event happened last year? I don’t remember one single thing. Like, if you would have came up to me and tried to convince me that this event was washed out because of an alligator infestation last year, I wouldn’t have believed you, but I would have at least googled it.

I couldn’t muster up the energy to attempt to handicap this event. I think DJ wins this week, but he’s a 7/1 favorite, and I just never bet guys at odds like that. The only hunch I have this week is on the hometown boy John Peterson.

Ian Poulter made the worst analogy you’ll ever see this week. He compared his skipping of the BMW PGA to Usain Bolt entering a marathon. Seriously. He thinks he’s comparable to the fastest man in the world. I’m very confident that Poulter couldn’t beat Bolt in a race even if he was in one of his five Ferrari’s. I would link to the tweet, but I’m blocked.

I saw someone float the question on twitter this week as to whether or not Tiger should have entered the Zurich. Tiger has a better chance of buying Zurich than ever entering this tournament. I’m actually just assuming at this point that editors of golf publications are making their writers do a minimum of two Tiger posts a week, and they have to have a question mark in the headline.

Here is what we noted a year ago this week regarding Koepka: “As we 

, Brooks Koepka shot 64 in the Monday qualifier and earned his way into the field. With a made cut, he can lock up temporary membership on the PGA Tour, and can toss aside his passport for the rest of the year. This guy is a potential American star, and more should be made of the fact that he had to go to Europe to play his way onto the tour due to the new Q-school process (the blood is on your hands Finchy).” #BrooksWasHere

We’ll leave you with this. One of my favorite SNL skits ever. The premise is that everyone in the courtroom except for the plaintiff is a New Orleans transplant who moved to Maine after Hurricane Katrina, yet never lost their ‘Nawlins roots.

2015 Zurich Classic of New Orleans

In the parlance of professional football, if the Masters last week was the Super Bowl, this week’s Heritage Classic on Hilton Head Island (South Carolina) qualifies as the Pro Bowl (eminently watchable though, so completely unlike the NFL’s version). Just a quick jaunt across South Carolina for guys who played last week, the Heritage is one of the most relaxed, family-friendly stops on Tour each year. We’ll get into why in a second.

Hilton Head is the bastion of the Midwestern vacation (why? It’s driveable in a day from Ohio and surrounding parts). Each spring, fathers load up the SUV and pack the top of the minivans for the sacred family beach trip. You can witness this migration on the Interstate–tarp’d over skin boards and corn-hole sets bungeed dangerously high on the roof with the kid’s all glued to the car’s flip down TV screens in the back. You’ll see the veterans at Cracker Barrel, and the rookies, they’ll be camped out in the left lane heading South. (Here’s a quick 

There are several distinct zones (‘plantations’ as they’re called) of development within Hilton Head, with the oldest and most recognizable being Sea Pines Plantation. Within Sea Pines is Harbour Town, the closest thing to a city center on the whole island. It’s home to the famous red and white-stripped lighthouse (along with a bevy of BALLER-ASS yachts!) which serves as the distinguishing characteristic of both the golf course and this week’s broadcast.

There are two important things to realize about Sea Pines–first, not many people live inside Sea Pines (there are only 39,000 full-time residents on the whole island), and second, both entrances into Sea Pines are gated with security personnel vigilantly checking for proper credentials. Why is this important? Players are able to spend the week not in a cramped hotel setting, but instead living large in one of the myriad of nice to 

 vacation homes within Sea Pines. Perhaps moreover, there just aren’t many people in the area, so guys can enjoy a week of relative anonymity with their friends and/or sidepieces family in pretty plush settings. For these reasons, the Heritage has garnered the reputation as being very laid back as far as Tour stops go–a great place to decompress post-Masters for those fortunate to play–and an ideal place to spend some quality family time before the May ‘busy’ season approaches.

One more thing to mention that’s always bothered me about Harbour Town–why the hell is it spelled the Canadian way? Eh? I have to think this was a major selling point with the Royal Bank of Canada suits.

Known as a shotmaker’s paradise (or one might say, harbor, amirite?), Harbour Town checks in at #2 on the list of best tour courses 

. The Pete Dye design is an anomaly among tour tracks in that it plays about 7,000 yards and is characterized by its narrow fairways, overhanging trees, and minuscule greens. The average green is approximately 3,700 square feet, compared to the tour average of about 6,600 square feet (per 

). Seven different kinds of grass can be found throughout the layout, mostly different types of Bermuda.

Placement off the tee is at an absolute premium, and that doesn’t mean just finding fairways. Strategically-positioned, overhanging trees are sprinkled throughout the layout, making it possible to be completely blocked out from certain spots in the fairway – this is possible on ten holes depending upon pin location. As mentioned, the greens are the size of saucer dishes, bringing both iron play and chipping to the forefront. If the wind picks up, as it did last year, the course gets really difficult as it’s both tight and water-laden. All-in-all, a real fun course which demands guys to golf their ball.

The two best holes on the front nine are probably #8 and #9. #8 (pictured above) is consistently the hardest hole on the course, a treacherous, 473-yard par-4 doglegging a bit left with an approach shot that must be fit between trees on either side of the fairway into a narrow green guarded on the left by a thin bunker with water beyond. #9 is a fun, short par-4 of about 330 yards. It’s a narrow fairway framed by trees where guys must account for pin location on the wide, yet thin, heart-shaped green to determine where they want to place their tee ball. If they pull driver and blast away, it’s not a gimmie par, as the tiny green is well guarded by an array of awkward bunkers short and long.

On the back nine, everyone is undoubtedly familiar with the closing holes–#17 is a picturesque par-3 out toward Calibogue Sound, then #18 is a par-4 with Calibogue Sound all down the left side and the aforementioned lighthouse prominently standing in the background. What you may not be aware of, though, is how strong the stretch of #13 to #15 is.

#13 is a short, 373 yard par-4 requiring (what else?) a well-placed first shot. The second is a short iron that must negotiate a large tree on the left (with overhanging branches) into a U-shaped green with deep fore-bunker all around. #14 (pictured above) is a bossy 192 yard par-3 that features the vintage Dye railroad ties supporting the green and separating it from the pond short and right. When the wind is up and the pin is cut on the right, it’s a daunting play into a fantastic sucker pin. Finally, #15 is a gettable 588 yard par-5. Like every other hole, position off the tee is critical to be able to reach in two, there’s water down the left side, and and the green complex is small and well-guarded with water and bunkers. That starting to ring a bell? Welcome to Harbour Town Golf Links!

The Heritage is perfectly suited for post-Masters week with the vibe exceedingly relaxed. Most of the time a ticket isn’t even necessary to get in as there are a multitude of course-access points due to Harbour Town snaking all through Sea Pines (our sincere kudos to the tourney suits for historically not trying to be overzealous in this regard, though rumor has it they’re aiming to beef up ticket checking this year). Anyway, the scene is a spring bisque of familial flavor stewed together with Clemson and South Carolina frat stars (who add that little kick). The area in between #10 fairway and #16 fairway, through #17 and all the way down to #18 tee is where the party’s at. Think a homeless man’s Bird’s Nest, a la Phoenix, but a bit more refined and civil. You’ll see plenty of Sheilas (all ages) roaming the property with “mattresses strapped to their backs.” In other words, there’s something for everyone.

Late posting this, without even the lines seen, so skipping this part this week.

Full transparency, Hilton Head was the first place a younger co-founder of NLU ever got bombed (high school Easter trip, baby)! The potion: Orange Gatorade and Barton’s Vodka. In that spirit, we recommend plastic bottle vodka or rum bought with an Ohio Fake ID (I know all of you still have these old Fake’s, and if you don’t, have your kid or nephew buy it for you). It’s a phenomenal counter weight to the classiness of the tournament! Mix it up at about a 1:1 ratio in a Gatorade bottle and enjoy!

Not sure which year this was, but I walked into the tournament on hole #6 and literally the first shot I saw was John Daly hitting it into the shitter down the left side. Daly tried to cut the dogleg, missed badly, and the ball went into the bathroom. INTO the bathroom. I was left wondering whether this was the PGA Tour version of “cart golf”, and if JD was having trouble with the chili dog he had for breakfast.

Spencer Levin is in the field – he’s consistently made the cut here in the past and one would think this course would be a good starting point for him getting some momentum going. Spence established some serious consistency a couple years ago and was poised to break through. Then a freak injury cost him the first part of the 2013 season and he decided to shut it down for the remainder. The biggest question is whether he can keep his cigs lit with the strong breeze expected to be coming off the Calibogue Sound.

Woody Austin’s one of my favorite guys to follow around Harbour Town. His sterling track record around these parts (

 (the French version is soooo good). His victory last year was such an underrated story and it’s fitting to see him choosing to ply his craft on the PGA Tour while eligible for the Champions Tour.

I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention the third round Ball-Striking Fiesta that Billy Horschel invited Fil and I to attend in 2013 (we actually just showed up uninvited). After two days of mingling with the field, we decided to follow Billy for 18 holes as we’d been intrigued by his performance in Houston a couple weeks prior. He was surgical through 16 holes, not sure he hit a “bad” shot. He lipped a putt on #16 that would’ve taken him to -6 (which is STRONG on this course) but then endured a rough finish for a 68. We were sold on him from that point forward.

This is a place where wily old vets can rekindle the magic and dial back the clock, as length is far from a prerequisite. People, Faldo’s coming down from the booth this week in honor – that’s Cheeky! Also, looking forward to seeing Tom Watson outpace a lot of the young guns.

Shout-out to DL3, who established carte blanche over this place, winning the plaid jacket five times! The plaid, the Atlantic setting, the lighthouse in the background – DL3 just oozes low-country vibe. This year English, Kuchar, Harman, Byrd, and Sneds are all in the field, the Sea Island mafia rolling DEEP.

Mickelson needs to come back and play here again. Feel like this is the kind of course he’ll come back to as he grows older – the shotmaking would keep him engaged.

We’ll leave you with this bit from former RBC employee Brad Katsuyama (who will be hitting the ceremonial first tee shot this week. OK, not really):


2015 RBC Heritage Classic Preview

I’m still geeking out. I slept two and half hours on Sunday night. I was so jacked up on azaleas and birds chirping, while at the same time, pretty emotional, that there was no hope of me getting to sleep at 1:30 AM as the tournament wrapped up here in Amsterdam. So I just stayed up straight through the Game of Thrones premiere, and I don’t even regret it a little bit.

I completely understand if you are creeped out, concerned, or even disturbed by my Spieth man crush at this point. I’m actually a little weirded out myself. I’m pretty sure we’re about one more week away from my friends pulling an all out intervention. Nothing makes you question the decisions you make in life more than having to respond to questions about your weekend by saying “Well, I made jokes about the size of a 21 year old kid’s balls on the internet all weekend.” But as nauseating as it might be, I’m comforted by the fact that we’ve been waiting a long time for something like this, and you can’t help but get the feeling that this was the arrival of the takeover.

As I’ve matured (slowly) from a teenage sports fan to a 28 year old adult, my perspective on athletic competition has changed. When you’re young and impressionable, you are literally looking up to college and professional athletes in age, and they seem so much larger than life. They don’t really even seem human. But as you make your way through the college years, watching a collegiate event takes on a new perspective. 

. As I approach 30, I have even more respect for these young athletes that are able to handle the pressure of these enormous sporting events, on top of all of the other pressure that comes with being a highly scrutinized individual.

When I was 21, I couldn’t get out of bed before 10 AM and basically shot about 50% on attending 11 AM classes. Jordan Spieth just won 

. He made all of this look so routine, that we could have easily forgotten that he was 21 if it wasn’t mentioned on the telecast and on twitter in every other sentence. At this time last year, I was watching Adam Scott put the jacket on Bubba Watson. That seems like a different lifetime.

As a sports fan (particularly a fan of the Reds and WVU), the heartbreak has outweighed the glory by a higher ratio than republicans to democrats on the grounds of Augusta National this past week. So yeah, I was emotional watching Spieth hug his mom, and starting chopping some onions as she said “I’m so proud of you.” (What?! No, YOU cried.) What made it so enjoyable wasn’t necessarily the moment itself, but what it signaled for the world of golf going forward.

It was such a masterpiece that I struggled to even conjur up a proper recap. So I’m just going to do this in mailbag form.

 What was the most important shot Jordan Spieth hit all week?



— Shane Bacon (@shanebacon) 

I’ve got to be political here, because there were a few that were huge, but for different reasons. The first one that comes to mind is the approach into 14 on Thursday. He drove right into the first cut, and hit an approach that he (shockingly) didn’t love as it flew.

The ball caromed off the stick, and stopped a foot from the hole. He was already seven under at the time, and that was the moment when we all realized we were watching something historic. Something obscene. Twitter erupted. Parents were hiding their children’s eyes. The FCC’s phone was ringing off the hook. Spieth was taking a butcher’s knife to the Augusta history books on live TV in broad daylight. Billy Payne had an intern go fetch the blueprints from the file room so they could start talking about how to add another 800 yards to the course.

But then Sunday came, and with it, the single greatest moment in NLU history. With a four shot lead, from 207 yards out, Spieth was staring down the 13th green guarded by Rae’s Creek. Loyal NLU follower Peter Kostis set the stage, and betrayed us!

We know what happened next, and Bob Macatee recovered nicely with the NLU tribute:

This was it. You can not draw up a moment that defines “No Laying Up” than that moment. We could not be any higher on Spieth, and he just (unnecessarily) went after one of the most iconic holes in golf, for the most coveted prize in golf, with the announcer saying that he’s going to lay up. I would say that this was the true litmus test on the size of Spieth’s stones, but he tested out of that exam a long time ago.

Twitter exploded again. I couldn’t get a tweet out because I was getting so many notifications. THERE IS NO LAYING UP.

Then came 15! Bacon and I were having a side conversation where Shane himself said “he has to lay this up.” SHANE, YOU BETRAYED US. THERE IS NO LAYING UP.

 top three Sauce moments?



— Kyle Porter (@KylePorterCBS) 

I’m not sure I’ve ever seen more Tour Sauce sprayed at one event in my life, and that was maybe the 15th biggest storyline for me. How do I only choose three!?

This move is so next level Tour Sauce that I haven’t even included it in either of the first four parts of the Tour Sauce series. Phil poured three barrels of sauce on the 16th hole on Sunday by pulling the flag for his greenside bunker shot. At this point, I’m actually wondering if there is an incentive in Bones’ contract based on the number of pins tended or pulled during a round. Like, maybe this is Bones’ doing the whole time?

Bones: “Yeah, whatever, want me to go tend it?”

That’s the only rational explanation for needing to pull the pin on a bunker shot. Pulling the flag there increases your chance of holing the shot by 0.003%, and at the same time it hurts your chances by 0.004% (scientific estimates). Make no mistake, the entire point of this whole exercise is what sauce is all about. Letting everyone in the audience and on the grounds know exactly how dialed in you are.

There are U.S. Congressional filibusters with less dialogue than Spieth’s dictations to his ball while it is in flight. It got to the point where 

 together (which I butchered horribly by not including “Take it wind”, and about 50 other things he mentioned on Sunday). At least we know that if Spieth has an approach shot online that he’s not barking at like it’s his 13 year old son who just got caught drinking, that you need to move to the edge of your seat, because that flagstick is under an all-out assault.

The guy claimed he had a bone POP OUT OF HIS WRIST, and that he PUT IT BACK INTO PLACE. This is not one of those overblown stories because it was Tiger. This is honestly one of the most preposterous things that I’ve ever heard in my life. At this point, I’m forced to believe that Tiger is just completely trolling us. The part that is perhaps even worse for me is Macatee’s follow up:

THAT’S YOUR QUESTION? I can forgive him, because there’s a solid chance that his body just went into epileptic shock after hearing that Tiger performed surgery on himself at the turn on national TV. But how can you let him off the hook with saying that!? HOW IS THERE NO FOLLOW UP QUESTION THERE!?!? I’m guessing Macatee saw his entire Masters career going out the window as he pondered asking, “I’m sorry, what the hell did you actually just say to me?”

 What do you expect from Fox Sports 1 in their first major championship coverage?



— David Kateeb (@DKateeb) 

basically already admitted that they have no idea what they’re doing

, I’m obligated to be concerned. Joe Buck has become much, much more tolerable in the last few years, but I don’t think he’s ready for this. I’m picturing FOX trying way way wayyyy too hard to be edgy and different, and I don’t think it’s going to be widely accepted by the true golf fans. I can already picture hologram Cleatus out there trying to show the severity of the slope, dancing with a remote control drone. But maybe Cleatus will actually pop a bone of Tiger’s out of place if he tries to give him an equally ridiculous answer to a question?

 Who will make more cuts in majors this season – Joost Luiten or Mark O'Meara?



— Anthony Distler (@anthdistler) 

Hey, that’s my fellow Dutchman you speak of! I can’t sign on to this joke, because at one point I counted FIVE guys that I had actual human, American dollars on that Mark O’Meara finished ahead of. Will someone please remind me of that the next time I get cocky and try to project my picks on you?

I’m also not 100% I’ve ever seen Joost Luiten swing a golf club. Like, I know he’s right handed, but if you were real passionate about it, and made a solid case, I would believe you if you tried to convince me that he’s left handed. But I for one, am completely shocked to see a guy that predominantly plays the European Tour miss a cut on the big boy tour (*dives into a canal*).

 When will Big Cat play again after the self performed wrist surgery in the pine straw?



— Spencer Waresk (@SWaresk42) 

Part of what made this weekend so enjoyable was the (now unjustified) feeling of relief that we’re not going to play the “when is Cat coming back?” game for the near future. But here’s where Tiger really messed up by claiming that he popped a bone back into place, and played 9 more holes. Unless he is actually missing a limb, 

how can he ever miss another tournament with injury

? Think about it. This guy pulled out of a tournament when his butt muscle was tight two months ago! I think Cat was actually expecting a purple heart for finishing the back nine on Sunday.

BO breaks the news to Tiger that he’s not getting a purple heart

 Does the win by Jordan Spieth motivate other "20-something's" or do they just not have the same drive as Spieth?



— Ryan (@Front9Back9) 

I don’t mean to direct this at you Ryan, but words like “drive” and “motivate” sounds a lot like the narratives the media likes to build that I find myself fighting on a daily basis. Not every story has to fit into a nice and neat story, which is what makes a lot of what is currently written about golf so nauseating. Unless I am personally friends with a particular player, and I see with my own two eyes how much time and effort they are putting into their golf game, I don’t think I’m qualified to talk about 

Does Spieth have more drive than Fowler? Maybe. I have no idea. I watch them play on TV, I listen to what they say to the media, and follow them on social media. I don’t know what goes on off screen, and I don’t know how much this win affects others. If I was going to drive a narrative, I would say that this win puts Spieth in a class of his own, and rids himself of the pressure to prove himself. Which could open the floodgates.

(* – I’m aware that I did comment on Tiger’s “drive” recently on a podcast, but that’s different. I was referring to the fact that Tiger used to talk religiously about his dedication and how hard he worked. Then he showed up in San Diego and basically admitted he hadn’t been practicing, and was spending more time being a father.)

 do you think Jordan will be able to capture #1 in the world or will Rory fend him off?



— Meghan McCormick ⭐ (@megamegs13) 

I’ve seen this floated in places in the weeks and months leading up to the Masters, and rolled my eyes. Now, not so much, but I still believe that Rory is going to fend him off. It’s easy to get really caught up with this win, and this run that Spieth is on, and kind of forget about what Rory did at the end of last year. The guy won two majors and a WGC in consecutive starts. Oh, and he finished 4th this week. Jamie Kennedy 

had a very interesting stat on twitter this week

. Basically, Spieth won this thing in his first 27 holes, and Rory lost it there:

Rory is still the boss, until he isn’t. Overall, I don’t concern myself too much with who is wearing the crown between these two. Let’s just hope we get to enjoy this back and forth for years to come.

(Too many good questions this week. Will work on getting Part II posted soon.)

April Mailbag, Part I

To call it Super Bowl week wouldn’t do it justice. But there really isn’t anything you can say, write, type, or tweet that would do The Masters justice. It’s the best tournament, with the most history, played on the best course, at a perfect time on the calendar. I don’t care about the astronomical definition: Masters week is the first week of spring.

Golf fans are forced to wait eight months between majors, and the pent up enthusiasm has us ready to burst with anticipation. This year, we are blessed with more storylines than the upcoming season of Game of Thrones (which also happens to premiere this weekend).

Jordan Spieth has been flying through the 2015 season at an excruciating pace, stopping only to siphon jet fuel from the oil wells of Texas while racing up to 4th in the OWGR.

Bubba is going for three titles in four years, a feat matched only by Nicklaus (kill me).

Rory is going for the career grand slam, and if he gets that, then he’s going for the Rory Slam, which might be like, the fifth best story of the week.

Patrick Reed is going to go full Muhammad Ali in a pre-round press conference, then go trounce the field by six shots.

Tiger might actually kill someone with a bunker shot, or he might really be back (according to him).

I could keep going, but there really are about fifty different potential scenarios that would make this Masters one for the ages. It’s so hard to put into words, that I’ve resorted to just taking it to podcast form with four separate preview podcasts (

“Friends of Tiger” podcast with Shane Ryan

). No official preview can acceptably set the scene for what is transpiring this week, but we don’t lay up, so we’re going to at least go for it.

You’re going to find everything you need to know about Augusta in lots of other places. It’s the most written about, talked about course in all of golf (at least in the United States). We humbly recommend, though, checking out 

Adam Sarson’s terrific breakdown of the track on a hole by hole basis

. If you want to discuss how to make a perfect-10 into an 11, check out 

Part II of our Masters preview from last year, where we talked about how we would improve the course

 from last year, we broke down prevailing shot-shapes required for this layout (as well as a whole bunch of 2014 Tiger analysis that went to waste since he didn’t play). All that said, we’ll move on to other parts and try to paint the picture of the place as best we can.

What I’d like to highlight here is often overlooked about The Masters. First, not enough people realize how centrally located Augusta is within Eastbumblefucknowhere. It borders South Carolina to the east and north, the Savannah River Site (Nuclear YOTTO) to the immediate north, Georgia’s lake country to the west, and absolute nothingness to the south. This isolated location is culturally instructive. In the dozen or so times I’ve been to Augusta, every time for either high school golf tournaments or the Masters, I’ve never actually 

 to Augusta proper. Not once have I even come close to downtown Augusta. In my mind it doesn’t even exist.

Augusta National is an oasis of conservative ideals, Southern charm and manners, and unfettered hoity-toityness smack dab in the heart of a plebeian epicenter. I’m amazed that this doesn’t get talked about more. Washington Road is equal parts rough and tumble strip mall, fast-food joints, and check-cashing shops. In short, it’s the new, somewhat dystopian America. Washington Road 

 Augusta, Augusta National is not. And yet, just off these wholly populist confines sits Augusta National Golf Club – one of the last bastions of old-school civility, even older-school money, and fraternal ideals. A place that shat on Bill Gates (at the time the richest man in the world) for having the gall to publicly entreaty his desire to become a member. Put simply, the right turn from Washington Road onto Berckmans Road is the very definition of 

I’ve experienced Augusta National five times, three of which were actual tournament rounds. Each and every time, the day began around 5:00AM in Atlanta (not gonna pay $500/night to stay at a Days Inn). The drive along I-20 east is wholly unremarkable (painful even) as you drive through vast stretches of pine forest transfixed by the day that looms ahead. The relative quaintness of the exit onto Washington Road suggests that The Masters is something different, not some big-box golf tournament. Once off the exit, you head a couple blocks east, hang a right, and you’re in the (massive & free) parking lot (or whatever they call it – patron’s vehicle storage?).

The biggest change over the last few years has been the stroll from the lots to the gates. Patrons used to park in someone’s yard, walk in through nondescript fencing, and that was that. Now, those same yards are AGNC-controlled lots (minus the houses) and feed into a corporate-ish environment not unlike that of the entrance to the Kentucky Derby. The new entrance screams “big event”, which strips just a little bit of that allure away. But that allure comes rushing back as soon as you set your eyes on the course. That moment when you realize it actually exists, it’s actually a real place, is beyond special.

Once inside the gates, the vibe is pretty much set to perma-jolliness (think Matt Kuchar) all week. The beauty and greenery of the grounds is awe-inspiring, the history permeates every nook and cranny of the premises, and the beer flows at a remarkably fair price. People are exceptionally happy and decidedly content to be where they are, walking the grounds, and taking in the action. One thing Augusta has always gotten 100% right is the experience of its customers. You never once feel exploited, taken for granted, or marginalized as can all too often be the case at a lot of sports venues. In this way, it’s the very best of Southern hospitality on full display.

So many possibilities here. The first inclination is a nice whiskey, but you’re going to be watching so much golf that we can’t suggest getting hammered. We only require this: On Saturday and Sunday, you must be at your television for the exact moment that Jim Nantz comes on and sets the scene. Your household must have complete silence. If that requires putting the two year old down for a nap early, or sending your family to the store for pimento cheese, then you have to be prepared to make that game time call. When Nantz finishes his lead in and drops the obligatory “Hello, friends”, you cheers everyone in your house, text your buddies, tweet it at us, and recognize that you just committed yourself to that couch until Nantz excuses you.

I’ve placed so many bets over the last six months that it doesn’t make sense for me to make any more picks at this point. Basically, if someone made a somewhat supportable case for any player not named Anirban Lahiri to win the Masters, I took it at face value and just bet it. So here’s what I have (all odds via Sportsbook):

 – Overreacted to him jumping out to the early lead in Houston, but I don’t regret this one. I’m a believer in Phil’s chances. I’m actually surprised he’s not being talked about more. Yes the last year-plus has been a struggle for him, but we do remember him finishing one shot behind Rory at the PGA, right? And he’s won this event three times?

 – Got him right as he was about to win the Valero. A winner that shapes it right to left and bombs it. He’s an absolute threat this week.

 – He’s had a shaky year by his standards, but he’s a menace around this track. Tron will hate this pick, but I stand with Kuch.

 – Good history here, and I grabbed this as he was closing the AT&T, because I love overreacting.

 – Top 11 in each of the last 5 Masters, and has quietly had a good year. 65/1 was simply too long.

 – OK, so I didn’t get the value here. But he finished T20 here last year, moves it right to left, and is coming off a T8 at the Valero. This is one play I would actually suggest to people, is Kirk at 150/1.

 – I’ve mentioned about 26 times that I bet two units on this during the Ryder Cup as he was spraying Tour Sauce at a level that no human on this Earth had ever seen. If he wins, I’m literally going to Thailand or South Africa.

 – I have no earthly idea why I bet 1/5 of a unit on this, but I did.

To give you an idea of how Augusta National operates, chew on this. A few years ago, they 

bought an apartment complex for $8.3 million

, leveled it, and turned it into a parking lot. The parking lot is free for patrons. Free.

This is the classic Bill Gates/Augusta story everyone knows: 

Billionaire Duffer Would Love to Belong to Storied Golf Club

, Young Neil and Tron caught wind of another much better Gates/Augusta story recently: A few years back Gates was playing Augusta and was paired with a relatively young caddie on his way to college. The caddies knew Gates loved to talk college athletics and figured Gates would tip better with a chatty young kid , who mentions to Gates he’ll be attending Princeton in the fall. As they roll down into Amen corner and onto the 12th tee, Gates reaches for a six iron and the young caddie calls him off insisting that seven is the club. Gates resists at first but takes the advice in the end. He tees it and dunks it. ACE. Of course, the entire group is jacked up, especially all four caddies for what must be a HUGE tip coming their way. At Augusta, members tip through the caddie master post round and not in person or with cash. As one day turned into one week and into a month, the caddie’s were convinced Gates had stiff them Dalai Lama style. In time they would find out that Gates came up with his own version of a tip: He called up Princeton and paid the caddies tuition…4 years worth. How’s that for buying a couple rounds after an ace?

Favorite Masters story ever, told at a Christmas party a few years ago by a family friend who’s spent a good bit of time at ANGC: He’s standing next to the range with a member on Thursday morning during the tournament (he didn’t say the year, but it was early 2000’s). The old range at Augusta was 

. Tiger is BLASTING drivers over the net onto Washington Rd. The member politely asks Tiger to refrain from doing so. Tiger nods but keeps the driver in hand and hits another couple over the net. The member then walks back up to Tiger and says “Mr. Woods, if you don’t refrain from clearing the net, on behalf of the membership, I’m going to have to ask you to leave the premises.” Tiger hits a few wedges and Stevie packs his shit up. The member then walks back over to our family friend, and our friend asked him what the hell he was going to do if Tiger wanted to hit a couple more drivers. Without an ounce of irony, he replied, “I was going to have him escorted off the premises.”

The lack of distinction on what kind of beer your drinking at the tourney has always floated my boat. It’s either “domestic” or “import” – take it or leave it. What if all this time the Membership’s been serving PBR or Red Dog and nobody noticed?

I’m split on the evolution of the event the last few years. On the one hand, the lottery is sweet and really brings a much-needed dimension to the event, but at the same time it brings in some total clowns. I’ll put it this way – it’s the one event where I won’t yell “Filet Mignon!” after a tee shot. On the other hand, there’s just too many badges these days. Talk to anyone who’s been around the event since before 2000 and they’ll lament the same thing. When Augusta gave the members a shitload of cash a few years ago and told them go out and buy up every badge that they could find on the open market, then sent those badge-holders a letter stating that they no longer had badges, well, that was sweet.

Angel Cabrera gave us one of our favorite quotes of all time a couple years ago (paraphrasing): “I didn’t lay up when I was poor. Why would I lay up now that I’m rich?” El Pat0!

Three of the four NLU founders were lucky to be there in 2012 for the Monday proceedings. I’m still not even sure the place is a real place.

A couple of editorial notes on these previews: A lot of the stuff that applies to multiple years carries over (course, vibe, etc.) – obviously some of it is straight repeat, but for the most part we’re trying to build on the stuff that was well-received and keep the good vibes rolling, and then obviously build the picks section from scratch every week. As we always say, we’re not journalists. We’re just dudes bullshitting about golf, interspersing random observations with creative writing, and telling it to you reals – and if we ever get to the point where it’s not about that, please let us know. Seriously.

 for cheeky commentary before, during, and after the broadcast. Cheers.

2015 Masters Preview

A lot of the world’s best head to H-Town to get their final reps in before Augusta, and for some good ole fashioned Southern Hospitality. There’s also a golf tournament here as well for those that aren’t already in the field at Augusta, where those outside the top 50 in the world make their final dash for that Houston Oil. (What? Oil? Who said something about oil?)

The field is actually sneaky good this week, but you can’t help but get the feeling that the Houston Oil is used more to grease the kinks in the swings of the world’s elite, rather than 

 “There Will Be Blood” style. Our eyes are already on Augusta, so this will be short and sweet this week, but let’s drill into the preview…

Formerly known as Redstone Golf Club, the course was purchased in April 2013 by Escalante Golf, Inc. and renamed The Golf Club of Houston. This is like that girl Betsy from high school who went off to college, dyed her hair and got bangs, got with a new female-friendly physio and now goes by “Bets.” It’s still the same shitty track, it just goes by a different name. I’m guessing some glasses of chardonnay were clinked when the track didn’t make the 

” (it came in at 11th). The Golf Club of Houston implies a lot of history, but there is very little. Developed in 2003, the course has played host to this event since then. When your course has three sentences on its Wikipedia page, you quickly see why this event is seen as simply a warmup for Augusta.

The course is similar to Augusta in that they are both green. Other than that, any other comparisons are exaggerations at best. Tournament organizers do get the greens running at a 14 stimp, and with shaved banks and firm and fast fairways, and they at least advertise the track as a place to prepare for Augusta. However, playing Augusta National on the Tiger Woods video game is closer to the real Augusta than The Golf Club of Houston is.

There are some great NLU style holes coming home, including the driveable par 4 12th, and some long par 5’s that play shorter than the card says. Plenty of chances for these guys to hit drivers this week, which they will need next week.

One word: Sprawl. Houston noses Atlanta and LA as ‘Home of the Highway’ (only because ATL is primarily known as the home of 

 and LA has too many other things that call it home). Take one look at this map below, and you can see Houston takes the interstate (and state road) system next level. The Golf Club of Houston is located up in that Northwest corner of the map below – just east of George Bush’s airport.

That’s not a dreamcatcher, it’s urban planning!

With urban planners insisting that citizens rely solely on their automobiles to get around a maze of multi-lane, elevated highways, coupled with the fact that everyone I’ve ever met from Texas drives a vehicle over two metric tons, no wonder Houston’s PGA stop is really just a Big Oil Fiesta. H-Town and nearby Galveston Bay are the port of call for BIG off-shore oil operations, and Shell just happens to slap its name on the tournament to close funding on a couple new DeepWater Horizon rigs later this year. Houston is a celebration of the SUV, dickheads like Roger Clemens, global warming, 

, and the old adage: Things are bigger in the LoneStar State (kill me). Welcome!

Heartbreak hotel for Kuch, who dominated this stretch last year, but was only able to scrape out a win at the RBC Heritage in Hilton Head. Matt Jones holed a 40 footer on 18 to get into a playoff, then chipped in to steal the title and make his way into the Masters.

 – I’m only playing one guy this week, as I don’t like a lot of of what I’m seeing on the betting sheet. Top 15 finishes in three of his last four starts, and the only guy I saw that has been playing well that you could get for more than 50/1.

: It’s a really strong field at the top. Reed, Spieth, Kuchar, Holmes, and Sergio should all be in your lineups.

As we suggested last weekend, this is your last chance to earn some goodwill before next weekend. You have a duty to be on your couch the entire weekend, so put in the quality time with the kids and the significant other. If you do tune in, here’s what to watch for:

A swig of beer every time the Masters and/or Augusta is mentioned.

A shot every time it’s mentioned that “so and so” is “not in the Masters yet” as they climb up the leaderboard.

A beer thrown towards the TV every time they try to compare Golf Club of Houston to Augusta.

This event is a homecoming of sorts for University of Houston alum Freddie Couples, but unfortunately he’s not playing this year. His 2008 & 2009 performances were ridiculous considering his age and stature on tour. In ’08 he shot 67-66 on the weekend to grab a share of 4th. BoomBoom returned in ’09 and should’ve won the damn thing – he showed up on Sunday tied for the lead at -11 with Geoff Ogilvy, Paul Casey, and Ryan Moore. He bogeyed the last three holes, posting a 74 and finishing two shots out of a playoff between Casey and J.B. Holmes. Woulda, coulda, shoulda.

This week marks the change from the horrific “everything’s bigger in Texas” jokes to the “Houston, we have a problem” cringe-inducing attempts at humor. Who is going to be the first to make the crack when someone flies off the rails?

The preview is short this week. Not going to apologize. I’m in full Masters mode, and I will be travelling through three countries in the former Yugoslav bloc this weekend and won’t be around for the proceedings. Follow 

2015 Shell Houston Open Preview

It’s not Masters week, but it’s close enough. I’d rather write about Augusta than the Houston Open, so let’s get to it.

 If you were an amateur who made the field, and knew it would it your only time, would you purposely do something memorable?



— Adam Stanley (@adam_stanley) 

Oh, no doubt. There would be #TourSauce moves sprayed that haven’t even been invented yet. First of all, Ben Crenshaw would be closer to making the cut than me, so I’m going to enjoy my time while I’m at it. I would have a wardrobe change for every hole. I’m going to do log rolls around the greens to try to get the best Villegas-like angle to read my putts. I’m going to be taking selfies on every hole, and will be running to neighboring holes to get pictures with other players. I don’t care if I rack up a delay penalty on every hole, I’m going to make sure this lasts as long as possible. Amateurs will no longer be allowed to play in the Masters, and books will be written about my misconduct over that 36 hour period.

 everyone is on the favorites. Give me the two long shots you believe have the best chance to contend at Augusta



— B Daddy Long Strokin (@golfwager69) 

No Laying Up

Writing

2015 WGC-Cadillac Match Play Championship

2015 Zurich Classic of New Orleans

2015 RBC Heritage Classic Preview

April Mailbag, Part I

2015 Masters Preview

2015 Shell Houston Open Preview

Masters Mailbag

2015 Valero Texas Open Preview

Why Rickie Fowler Doesn't Win More

2015 Arnold Palmer Invitational Preview

Golf Channel Coverage of Patrick Reed vs. Shane Ryan

2015 Valspar Championship Preview

February Mailbag, Part II

2015 WGC Cadillac Championship Preview

Who Are The Two People Tiger Follows On Instagram?

2015 Honda Classic Preview

2015 Northern Trust Open Preview

NLU February Mailbag, Part I